The Sandy City Victim Assistance Program (SCVAP) was initiated in 1994. The program is sponsored through and located within the Sandy City Police Department. There are currently two staff persons and approximately 12 volunteers who serve as Victim Advocates. Despite the small staff, the program has effectively served over 2,100 victims of crime in the Sandy City and Draper area in the past year.

The SCVAP provides round the clock assistance to victims of violent crime by supporting police officers both on-site at the crime scene as well as on a follow up basis. A Victim Advocate is available 24 hours per day and 365 days per year to provide crucial services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, stalking and harassment, threats, robbery, burglary and elderly abuse, etc. Victim Advocates provide an immediate response to calls for assistance. In 1999, the SCVAP provided on-scene assistance to nearly 300 victims of crime and answered over 1,100 calls from residents with questions or information requests.

As our community continues to grow, Sandy City has earned the title of being a "First Class City". With this growth comes the need for more Volunteer Advocates. The SCVAP provides crucial services to those in need including crisis intervention, referrals to professional counseling centers, legal information, as well as emotional support. The Victim Assistance Program has become an integral part of the comprehensive services provided to the residents of Sandy City. The SCVAP complements the efforts of Sandy City Police Department in reducing crime by providing immediate and long term assistance to those victimized by crime.

Services offered by the Victim Assistance Program

The program offers the following confidential services FREE of charge:

• 24 hour, 365 days per year emergency response either by telephone, at the incident scene or alternate location under extreme circumstances.
• Court advocacy for those victims involved in the judicial system. This includes involvement with the Sandy Justice Court as well as Third District Court. Victim advocates also offer assistance to victims seeking a protective order.
• Emotional support for all victims of violent crime.
• Information and referral services for counseling, support groups, financial assistance, food banks, child care, legal assistance along with a variety of other resources.
• A crisis line is available for victims to call for information, referrals, support or immediate emergency intervention.

Again, these services are completely free of charge and confidential.